Skiing in Les Arcs

Without a doubt, the 11km piste from the highest to lowest point in Les Arcs ranks amongst one of the most fabulous red runs in Europe. Commencing from the exit point of the Aiguille Rouge gondola at 3226 mts and ending in the pretty hamlet of Villaroger on the north facing side of the Tarentaise Valley. This thigh stretching run covers all kinds of pisted terrain and also offers lots of off piste access to end at the same destination.

We have called it a red run and it is in my opinion a true red piste with a challenging average gradient and lots of challenging sections for the piste enthusiast. However, there are stretches that do offer a little respite and could be considered blue in short patches and the entry point offers a steep short black stretch as an alternative to the often overcrowded red track which provides a less daunting initial drop in.

If you’re strong, fit and at the top of your game, we challenge you to do the whole run without stopping, it will leave you exhilarated and probably a little exhausted too!

So here goes the route, the Aiguille Rouge 30 gondola to the summit is accessed from a halfway point on the mountain, you will need to catch the Varet 40 cable car from just above Arcs 2000 first, it’s quick and modern but at peak weeks, expect a 30 minute wait for the gondola to the top. The ride up is breath-taking and you can watch the free-riders coming down the couloirs under the gondola. At the summit, exit the gondola. It’s worth taking a 2 minute hike without skis to the viewing platform at the top of the mountain, the views are stunning and it feels like you are on the top of the world. Tignes and La Rosiere are clearly visible. Remember you are at 3226 mts plus here and it can be bitterly cold in the early winter months.

Get your skis on and you could opt for the short black run which takes you straight down at around 45 degrees for 200 mts or so. Alternatively, take the red track which gets crowded, rutty and probably more scary due to the minor collisions. Both runs meet a further down and both runs merge and open up into a vast open wide ski area for all, rarely groomed but substantially wide and at a nice steep-ish red run gradient.  As you reach the end of the first section, you are offered a choice of skiing left which returns to Arcs 2000. We will take the right bend, it’s listed as a black but this section is not so challenging and is more of a red. You are now going to ski a long red stretch along the underside of the ridge and into the treeline pisted. Ahead you can see La Rosiere over the valley.  The run is red all the way down now and is quite challenging, grooming is infrequent, ruts and moguls appear and there are blues tracks offering options as you descend lower.

There are a couple of nice restaurants on the way down but the rewards are at the bottom in Villaroger. Our favourite being Le Ferme, owned by the charismatic Michel. It’s a short walk across the piste through a pretty lane with farm buildings. The lifts back up aren’t the quickest so please leave the restaurant by 2pm to get back over into the main Les Arcs ski area.

If you prefer to take the run back to Les Arcs 2000, be sure to head to Chalet De L’Arcs which offers the highest bakery in France. Taking a “Chausson” from the menu is a essential. A delicious loaf with the centre stuffed with a casserole of your choice. There’s even a mushroom vegan option.

For a week in a fabulous chalet in Les Arcs ski area, why not stay at our prestigious Chalet Eagles Nest (sleeps up to 15) in Peisey. One hour ski from the Varet 2000 access to Aiguille Rouge. This chalet is perfectly placed for the whole Paradiski area just a short distance from the Vanoise Express

Happy skiing!